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Dordt College News

Shane Claiborne is First Mondays Speaker

Shane Claiborne will be speaking at Dordt College on Monday, Dec. 6, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the B.J. Haan Auditorium.

In his morning presentation of “Christian Troublemakers,” Claiborne will share stories of contemporary communities that are living with beautiful creativity and sometimes getting in a little trouble for it.

According to Claiborne, “Christians are meant to be radical non-conformists, interrupting the patterns of our world with prophetic imagination. After all, the Kingdom of God is not just something we hope for when we die, but something that we are to bring on earth as it is in heaven.”

The topic of his evening presentation, “Resurrecting Church,” will emphasize the “marks of a new monasticism,” which speak about creation care, peacemaking, racial reconciliation, and community living. He will highlight the importance of Christian belief and Christian practice and of seeing the Gospel as not just a way of believing, but as a way of living.

Claiborne will share ancient stories of the early Christians and contemporary stories of ordinary radicals while inviting the audience to re-imagine what it means to be the Body of Christ alive in the world.

Claiborne’s 2006 book “The Irresistible Revolution” is a best seller. He has also co-authored “Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals” with Chris Haw and “Follow Me to Freedom: Leading and Following as an Ordinary Radical” with Jon Perkins.

A few years ago, he spent three weeks in Baghdad with the Iraq Peace Team. Claiborne’s outlook on ministry to the poor is often compared to Mother Teresa, whom he worked alongside during a 10-week term in Calcutta.

His speech is part of Dordt College’s First Mondays Speaker Series, a series that promotes Dordt College’s mission to equip students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. The series brings to campus thinkers, writers, and opinion-leaders to challenge listeners to stretch their imaginations, to grow in understanding, to act boldly, and to creatively serve God’s kingdom.